I Swear Page 20

  As she began to cry, Jonah took her in his arms. “Oh, honey. She knew you loved her. Of course, she knew.”

  “I’ve thought about this long and hard. I’ve tried to deny it, but she came to me. She came to save her husband. If she hadn’t brought the warning, he would’ve died. We lived in the country, there wasn’t a lot of traffic on the road – especially on a night like that. In a few more minutes, he would’ve been gone.”

  “Miracles still happen, I guess.” Not that he’d seen any in his lifetime. “I think what you experienced was exceptional. Once in a lifetime.” He didn’t really see what such a blessing had to do with the unholy chaos they’d been enduring.

  Delaney could hear the doubt in his voice. “You don’t…get what I’m saying do you?”

  “Oh, no. I don’t doubt you at all. Not one iota.” He shrugged. “I just can’t equate the wonder you experienced with the weirdness going on around here.”

  “Well, on one hand its not the same – but on the other hand it is. Death is not the end. We go on. Your stepmother is trying to communicate with us. The message she’s attempting to pass on might not be as benevolent as my grandmother’s was – but she is trying to get attention. And she’s succeeding.”

  Jonah chose not to debate the matter any further. He had other things on his mind. “Let’s not think about it anymore tonight. Okay?” He invaded her space, pulling her close. “There’s much more pleasant things for us to do.”

  Delaney wanted him to kiss her – to touch her. She craved a repeat of the pleasure he’d given her the night before. But now…now she was on edge. Everytime the house creaked, she jumped. Burying her face in his chest, she tried to explain. “Just hold me. I’m uneasy.”

  “Okay. Okay. I’ve got you.” He rubbed her back gently.

  “After the incident with my grandmother, I couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t that I was afraid of her, it was just the unexpectedness of it all. I kept thinking she’d come back again – that I’d just open my eyes and she’d be standing over me.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, honey. That must’ve been rough.”

  “Yea, it was.” She kneaded the muscles of his back. “And now, I don’t know what to expect.”

  “You’re nervous.”

  “It’s stupid, I know. Claudette’s not going to hurt me, she’s just mischevious.”

  “If she’s real.” He said the words softly and slowly, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

  “Well, yes. Although, what other explanation could there be?”

  Jonah moved back far enough to look her in the face. “I don’t think anything has happened that can’t be explained in some other way.”

  “Oh. So…you think I’m overreacting?” Boy, this sounded familiar.

  “No, I didn’t say that. I think we should be open to finding a logical reason for what’s going on. Take things slow. Don’t assume anything.”

  “I see.”

  Jonah tugged her back into his embrace and she let him. “Uh…since you’re a little nervous. Why don’t you sleep with me tonight?”

  “What?”

  “You know, we can…protect one another. Nothing has to happen that you don’t want to happen.”

  Delaney couldn’t believe him. She narrowed her eyes and seriously considered giving his shoulder an unexpected nip. “I don’t think so. I’m not that nervous.”

  “Oh, come on, baby.” He began to kiss her neck. “I’ll be good. I just want to hold you. Keep the boogeyman at bay.”

  Stiffening, Delaney stepped to the side and out of his arms. “No. I’ll be fine.”

  “But…I have half of that big bed just going to waste and you’re afraid of things that go bump in the night.”

  “Don’t assume anything, Jonah.” She quoted his advice to her right back at him. “I think we should take things slow.”

  “Delaney. Come on. I didn’t mean anything.”

  She held up a hand. “I’m not mad. I’m just…tired. We stayed up late last night and I didn’t sleep well. And today…has been something else. I think its best if we just got a good night’s sleep.”

  “Will you be able to get a good night’s sleep?” he asked her with true concern in his voice.

  “If I get spooked I’ll sleep in the chair by your dad’s bed.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  “Yea, like me seeing the woman in the yard.”

  Jonah just growled a response and turned away. “Hell, I’ll lock up. Do you need anything else?”

  “No, I’ll take care of your Dad. Goodnight.”

  Jonah huffed off – this wasn’t the way he’d planned on the night ending.

  * * *

  A few hours later he sprang up in bed, throwing the covers from his sweaty body. The familiar nightmare was still fresh in his mind. “Not again,” Jonah muttered. This was the first night he’d awoken like this in days. “Hell fire.”

  Rolling over, he tried to relax. Despite the late hour and his exhaustion, sleep wouldn’t return. All he could do was think about Delaney. Man, he’d really messed things up with her tonight. He’d won her trust and now he’d thrown it away. And for what? To play the guy who believed in nothing? Truth be told, he didn’t know what he believed. After the horrors of war he’d witnessed and dealing with his dad’s senseless condition, Jonah wished he could be sure life held some higher purpose.

  Besides…if he’d played his cards right, she’d be lying next to him. But no…he had to go and get all judgy and now he was paying the price. He was alone. “So, what’s new?”

  What’s new was the way he felt about it. Before, he wasn’t lonely. Now, he ached to be with her. He’d been granted a small taste of paradise and now he could think of nothing else. Staring up at the ceiling, he analyzed his feelings. There was no denying it. Delaney was becoming very important to him very fast.

  Was this what he’d intended? No, it wasn’t.

  His aim had been for a good time to be had by all – no strings. No rings. No promises. He really wasn’t in a position to offer her anything else.

  How did she feel? She was definitely unhappy with him at the moment – but that would pass. She was too sweet and kind to hold a grudge. By tomorrow, she’d be ready and willing to welcome him into her arms.

  And then what? An uneasy feeling crept over him. Despite Delaney bringing a billion rays of sunshine into their lives, nothing had really changed. His father would still deteriorate and he would still end up with nothing.

  Delaney deserved better than that. She deserved someone who could offer her a secure future.

  Pummeling his pillow, he rolled over, cramming it beneath his head with his fist. “Appears to be a no-win situation, Jonah.” So, what should he do?

  Before he could come up with an answer, a scream tore through the house.

  “Delaney!”

  Without a second thought he jumped from the bed, grabbed his pants, then pulled them on as he ran. “Delaney?”

  Running down the hall, he found her room to be empty. Knowing she must be with his father, he moved on down the hall. Seeing the door was open, he just stepped in to find Delaney standing between his father’s bed and the glowing figure of a woman. For a split second he was frozen, stunned. What he doubted was standing before him. “Claudette,” he breathed as his feet began to move. Within three strides, he stepped in front of Delaney – and face to face with the spirit of the woman who’d torn his family apart.

  Chapter Eleven

  “What do are you doing here? What do you want?”

  The apparition didn’t answer. Instead, she shimmered like a fading light – then just disappeared.

  Turning to Delaney, he pulled her to him. “Oh, Jonah,” she cried. “I was so afraid.”

  “You’re okay. I’ve got you.” Holding onto her, he checked his father. “Dad, are you all right?”

  “Oh, yea. I’m fine. I wasn’t scared of her when she was alive and I aint afraid of h
er now she’s dead. She’s all bark, that woman.”

  Feeling Delaney tremble in his arms, he didn’t want to leave her alone. “Come on. Get up, Dad. We’re going downstairs. You can sleep in the recliner and Delaney and I’ll share the couch.”

  John grumbled, but he climbed from the bed. “I don’t think the couch is big enough for the both of you.” His own observation made him laugh. “Did you hear that? It’s like…” He exaggerated the country tone in his voice. “This town’s not big enough for the both of us, pilgrim.”

  “Well, that’s the way I feel about this room,” Delaney said as she continued to cling to Jonah. “It’s not big enough for me and…Claudette.”

  “Let’s grab a couple of extra quilts and a pillow or two,” Jonah instructed as they readied to go downstairs. “We’ll get a good night’s sleep tonight, then we’ll figure out how to handle this in the morning.”

  His father muttered a few more words of protest, but Jonah wasn’t listening. He herded the pair down to the first floor, noticing the cat and dog stood at the foot of the steps staring toward the top of the stairs. As he glanced up to see what they saw, Jonah hated to admit he felt a twinge of apprehension. Fortunately, he saw nothing. The cold chill he felt seeping into his bones was most likely his imagination – maybe.

  “Here, Dad. Lie down and I’ll cover you up.”

  John didn’t hesitate, he looked to be asleep on his feet.

  “There.” Jonah tucked the blanket around his knees.

  “Now for you, dollface.” He put a pillow on the couch. “Rest your pretty self and I’ll be right back.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Just to take a look around. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

  “Okay.” She settled into a corner of the couch, not lying down but sitting with her knees under her chin. “Hurry.”

  “I will.” With a tender glance at her frightened face, he held up one finger to show he didn’t intend to be gone long.

  Jonah moved from the living room to the dining room, turning on lights as he went. Methodically, he checked all the windows and doors. Everything was locked up tight as a drum. He also did a walk through of the kitchen, the appliance room, and the screened in porch. There was nothing unusual to be seen. When he arrived at the foot of the stairs, it was to find his pets still sitting there like they were daring something to come down.

  Despite his determination, Jonah hesitated. What would he find if he went up there? “Well, I won’t know until I go, will I?”

  Putting one foot ahead of the other, he climbed the stairs. With evey step, he wrestled with what he’d seen. Did his eyes decieve him? Was this some sort of a mass hallucination? He didn’t think so.

  At the top of the stairs he held a hand out, seeking some cold spot like he’d seen people do on television. He didn’t feel anything. Of course, that didn’t mean there wasn’t something lurking nearby. Slowly, he moved down the hall – going from room to room – even checking the closets. When he arrived at John’s old office, his skin began to tingle like he’d walked into an electrical field. Standing still, he let his eyes dart around the room. With every beat of his heart, he expected to see Claudette come floating through the wall. When she didn’t, he let out a long breath.

  “So, how does this work?” he asked himself. “And how do I handle the situation?”

  Having no answers and getting no input from Claudette, he started down the hall.

  Downstairs, Delaney hugged herself tightly, her eyes focused on the place where Jonah would reappear. Her breathing was gradually returning to normal as she recovered from the shock of seeing the ghost of John’s second wife. A slight noise drew her attention and she breathed a sigh of relief when Jonah entered the room.

  He gave his sleeping father a glance before joining her on the couch. “Are you all right?”

  “Yea, I’m okay,” she told him as he sat down beside her. “Did you see anything?”

  “Nope. Everything was fine and all was clear.”

  Delaney nodded. “Good. You can go back to bed if you want. I’ll be fine here with John.”

  “I’m staying.”

  She didn’t argue with him, she could tell by the tone of his voice that his mind was made up. “We can take turns on the couch.”

  “We’ll be fine.” He leaned back on the cushions, taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly. “I owe you an apology.”

  “Yea, you do.”

  Her adamance amused him. “Okay, you can say I told you so.”

  “That’s not my style.”

  “I know it isn’t,” he conceded the point. “I just never expected this. Yet, I know you. I know you’re not the type who’s prone to exageration and drama. I should’ve listened to you.” He held out his hand, praying she would take his.

  “Yes, you should have.” Unable to resist him, she placed her palm over his, loving how the simple touch made her feel. “But, I should’ve believed you about Tressie. Let’s just call it even.”

  “Fine. But…next time, if you tell me little green men are on the front yard – I’ll believe you.”

  This made her giggle. “Well, you never know. Even the government is beginning to accept those things as fact.”

  “Yea…well. Who knows?” After tonight, he didn’t know what to expect. “Come on. Let’s get comfortable.”

  “How?”

  “Stand up a second.”

  She did as he asked, watching as he stretched out on the couch. “I can…” She pointed to one of the chairs by the fireplace. Before she could move, he caught her arm.

  “No, lay down with me.”

  “There’s no room.”

  “There’s plenty of room.”

  She let him guide her and soon she was lying next to the back of the couch, most of her body draped over his. “Ah, this isn’t bad at all.” Delaney let out a contented sigh.

  “Yea, this is good.” She was in his arms, her soft breasts cradled to his bare chest, her head close enough for him to kiss her hair. “Feels right.”

  “I don’t know if I can sleep.”

  “Just relax. Talk if you need to.”

  “I don’t want to keep you awake.”

  “It’s okay. I’m pretty wound up.”

  She giggled softly, “I guess seeing a ghost will do that for you.”

  “Yea. That was Claudette though. I’d recognize her anywhere. I wonder what she wants?”

  “I’m not sure…but…”

  “What?” He was listening to her, but his attention was also captured by the way she was touching his chest. Jonah figured she wasn’t even aware of what she was doing. “Talk to me.”

  “Looking back at all of the things that’s happened…I think she’s trying to get your dad’s attention. I think she’s jealous.”

  “Jealous? Of what?”

  “Well…when did this all start?”

  Jonah tried to think. It was hard because she was rubbing her finger in a circular motion right over his heart. “Hmmm. I never witnessed anything personally until lately. Ms. Bernice complained about Dad throwing dishes.”

  “Yes, remember that happened the night I came home with you.”

  “Of course, I remember.” He smiled. “Dad swore up and down he wasn’t responsible.”

  “I don’t think he was. I think it was Claudette. Maybe she was jealous of Ms. Bernice.”

  “You might be right. Wow, wouldn’t that be something? Jealous. Just like a woman.” He said the last four words quickly, then playfully goosed her in the side to let her know he was kidding.

  “Hey…” She goosed him back as they shared a laugh. “Seriously. Just think back over the things that’ve happened. What we were doing. What we were talking about. It sounds silly, but I think Claudette’s trying to get some type of response from your father.”

  “What did she do tonight? Did she say anything?”

  “No.” Delaney thought a momen
t. “She didn’t.”

  “How did it go down? Were you sitting in his room at the time?”

  “No. I was in bed. I wasn’t asleep though. I was lying there awake when I heard a noise. Your father made some sort of strangled gasp. Shock, I suppose.”

  “Yea, I guess anyone who woke up to a sight like that would be shocked.”

  “She wasn’t really scary though. Claudette’s a nice looking lady – to be dead and all.”

  This made Jonah chuckle. “True. So, you ran in there?”

  “Yea, I thought he was sick. When I saw her by the bed, I charged in.”

  “I noticed you were standing between them like some Mama bear protecting her cub.”

  “Hey, it’s my job.”

  She was still touching him and he loved every second of it. Giving her a squeeze, he disagreed, “No, putting yourself in danger for him is not your job. Next time, call me.”

  “I wasn’t in danger.”

  Jonah wasn’t sure. “I just don’t know enough about the topic to make that call. Hell, I didn’t even believe ghosts existed until a few minutes ago.”

  “I understand. Although, I find it comforting in a way. Like with my grandmother – she still exists. We go on when we die.”

  Jonah considered what she was saying. “Yea, that’s something. For sure.” He caressed her hair, kissing her on top of the head.

  “So…what do we do about this?”

  “Hell if I know. I don’t really relish Claudette as a permanent roommate. I never got along with her.” He lowered his voice to a mere whisper. “She’s why I left in the first place.”

  Delaney knew he was whispering lest they draw the spirit’s prescence near. “I know. Was she jealous of you and your dad? Of your relationship?”

  Jonah gave her question some thought. “I guess so. I didn’t look at it that way at the time, but it’s possible.”

  “I hate to be repetitive, but what do we do? Now, that we’ve…seen her, I’m not going to be able to forget she’s here.”